Fair Use in the Real World

Remember that the information in this video series is purely for educational purposes. If you have any questions or concerns about your specific situation regarding fair use or any other copyright-related topic, please contact a lawyer.

0:00

Okay, I know fair use is sort of a vague concept,

0:03

but it's intended to be.

0:05

There's no simple checklist for any sort of usage of stuff that's still under copyright.

0:10

Every situation is totally different.

0:13

If you're concerned about a specific situation of your own, definitely talk to a lawyer.

0:18

But ultimately fair use isn't anything more than a defense.

0:23

It isn't something you sign up for and get approval for.

0:27

It's really only a legal defense if the copyright holder takes you to court.

0:32

Even if your lawyer tells you in advance that "sure whatever you're doing is probably fair use",

0:37

if that case ever got taken to court, the judge might disagree.

0:42

So what does this mean for you?

0:44

Well for starters, no matter what sort of artist you are—

0:47

web designer, musician, anything—

0:49

you should probably just get the idea of anything you do falling under fair use out of your head.

0:55

Not because you should be scared of getting sued or fined, that's really way more rare than you think it is.

1:01

But unless you're specifically creating educational content and following each of those guidelines,